Unique
culture feature
Any male or female of Ta Oi people knows how to dance AzaKooh before they become an adult. This is a collective dance which shows a very high level of community. The type of dance at the AzaKooh festival can be participated by all the elderly, young people, men and women. The rhythmic movements of the body according to the music, drums, and gongs ...in traditional Dzèng costumes create a bustling, fun atmosphere, attracting not only performers but also the audience.
During the AzaKooh festival, "Tung tung za za", a unique traditional dance not only for the Ta Oi but also the Co Tu ethnic group. Tung za za dance expresses a high level of art through each step; the dance contains every soul, affection and the essence of the people in the mountain.
Za za dance includes two types: tung dance for men and za zá dance for women. The Tung tung za za dance is referred as a gift from the Ta Oi to the heavens and the earth, but the most noticeable thing is that each dance move is associated with the diverse uplifting, slow and emotional rhythm. In addition, the sounds of traditional instruments reflect the working life, the struggle for survival between man and nature, and the vigorous vitality of the Ta Oh people.
Preserving the traditional dance
As an active person in preserving and disseminating traditional dances of her people, the village elder Quynh Hiem from Chi Lanh village, A Dot commune, A Luoi district confided: Tung tung za za is a traditional dance from the past of Ta Oi community and everyone knows how to dance to this dance. Tung tung za za is indispensable in the community cultural activities of the Ta Oi people.
Today, even under the influence of many modern art forms, the majority of Ta Oi young people are still passionate about traditional dances of their people.
Aware of the traditional cultural values of the nation, the government and the Ta Oi people in A Luoi district have organized many activities to restore their cultural values. The traditional dance during the AzaKooh festival has many favorable conditions to restore and develop as the community wants to preserve it. The People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue Province has proposed to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to consider the AzaKooh Festival as a national intangible cultural heritage. This creates favorable conditions for the village elders and folk artisans to restore and transmit forms of community cultural activities during the festivals in general and the AzaKooh festival of the Ta Oi people in particular, which handed down these unique types of art and culture.
Opportunity to develop tourism
With the motto of taking tourism as one of the main drivers of local economic development, Ta Oi cultural identity, in particular the traditional dance during the AzaKooh festival is being preserved by A Luoi district to develop cultural and festival tourism activities. Many tourists, especially foreigners want to explore the customs and festivals of ethnic minorities in A Luoi district in particular and in Thua Thien Hue province in general. This will certainly bring many opportunities for Ta Oi people to develop their economy along with promoting their traditional and rich cultural identity.
Ta Oi cultural community activities are increasingly developing, so the traditional dances performed in festivals are constantly being preserved and promoted, and are taught from generation to generation. The traditional dance during the AzaKooh festival is a masterpiece, representing the soul and is a symbol of the traditional culture of the Ta Oi people. Hopefully it will live forever in the spiritual cultural life of the Ta Oi community.
